INGREDIENTS

(serves four) 

For the dry butternut slices (makes at least 20)
1 butternut squash
100g water
10g sugar

For the goats' milk ice-cream (enough for 10)
750ml goats' milk
370ml whipping cream
200g sugar
6 egg yolks

For the butternut bavarois
165g diced butternut
1 gelatine leaf
100ml double cream
1 vanilla pod
45g sugar

For the chocolate and coffee coulis (enough for 10)
170g sugar
350ml water
90g cocoa powder
20 coffee beans
Pinch of salt
30g dark chocolate

For the butternut dices
50ml water
50g sugar
100g butternut
Juice of half a lime

METHOD

Peel butternut, cut in half lengthways and take the seeds off. Boil water and melt sugar in it. Slice butternut as thinly as possible. Dip slices in the syrup and place between sheets of greaseproof paper. Dry for 24 hours and unstick carefully.

Mix goats' milk, cream and 100g sugar. Bring to the boil. Whisk up egg yolks and 100g sugar (sabayon). Mix milk into sabayon, a small amount at a time. Cook like an anglaise. Chill down quickly. Mature two hours before churning.

Steam the butternut in sous-vide bags till tender - 20 to 30 minutes. Soak gelatine in cold water and squeeze dry. Bring one-third of the cream to simmering point and infuse vanilla pods (scraped) into it. Blitz butternut and sugar with a bar blender. Remove vanilla pods from cream and dissolve gelatine in it. Cool.

Whip the rest of the cream to a very soft peak. When on the point of setting, fold the gelatine cream into the butternut then fold in the whipped cream and pipe cone-shaped in moulds.

Cook sugar to a caramel. Add water, a small amount at a time. Mix in cocoa powder, coffee beans and salt. Add chocolate. Pass through a chinois and check the consistency. Add water if needed.

Boil the water and melt the sugar in it. Dice the butternut in 5mm cubes. Blanch cubes and cool down under cold water. Soak them in the syrup and the lime juice.

To serve, demould bavarois on to the plate. Push the dried butternut slice to fit on the bavarois. Dress with the chocolate caramel, diced butternut and ice-cream.

Heston Blumenthal